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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. tube — a container
  4. net — in sport
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. net — for catching
  9. prune — to trim
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. bear — the animal
  13. lean — thin
  14. dip — to sink
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. net — after costs
  20. prune — to trim
  21. bear — the animal
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. lean — to bend
  24. dip — to dunk

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com